Exiled biker Steve Utah spills the beans on culture of bikie and rise of gang wars

A FORMER Bandido bikie insider who lives every day in fear of payback talks about gang life and impact of government crackdown.

BIKIE insider Steve Utah was once on the inside of the global Bandidos outlaw empire.

Now he's living in exile in another country for what he claims is police, political and systemic failure in helping those wishing to do the right thing and educating authorities on the inner workings of the outlaw motorcycle gang network.

He lives every day in the knowledge that if he is discovered by the Bandidos, a club whose tentacles spread around the world, it will be his last.

For years he has forecast a growing undercurrent in the bikie world and that Australia was woefully unprepared to fight it.

In the past month, bikie violence has erupted across the eastern seaboard, just as Utah said it would.

In the past three years, numbers have increased nationally by 1000 according to Assistant Commissioner Ken Lay, of the Victorian Police, just as Utah said it would in 2009.

In exclusive interviews with News Limited around that time, Utah warned that under the present climate, there would be no winners.

"I think the politicians have totally s--- themselves with this OMG climate, out of their depth, caught off guard and unprepared," he said.

"Then they blame the police for their legislative failure."

It gives him no pleasure to say that he was right. He feels no remorse or vindication.

He called on Australian law enforcement to study how bikies had been handled internationally.

"I think we here should stop being so Goddamn arrogant and learn from other countries."

Utah also predicted that laws would be tested and fail, bigger gangs would evolve such as the Mongols and politicians and executive police should we warned against using officers in an untried and untested war against OMG's with new laws.

Again, Utah has stepped forward in this elusive Q&A to give an insight on dealing with outlaw gangs.

In part one of a two-part series, he looks at the inner workings of gangs and how their leadership has badly let down the system, the growth of gangs and his own personal cost.

MEMBERSHIP

Does the average person join a club to be actively involved in organised crime?

A few select individuals do for sure, as they have protection from others at a small financial cost. But I would guess more than 90 per cent don't.

As a "prospect", you are required to do anything asked of a patched member, your chapter and club. It is a lot more than cooking a barbecue, cleaning the floors and washing bikes. You may be asked to assist in recovering a drug debt, delivering drugs or simply beat on someone that has done something to the club. You are groomed into being a criminal.

Why does someone join an OMG?

For different reasons. Some because they have a family member or a childhood friend in a club, some because they are lost in life and seek a family environment, some because they love Harley Davidson motorcycles and some to mask their criminal activities. Very few join to be a criminal, that is a simple byproduct of obtaining membership.

How does a member get out of an OMG?

A membership is meant to be forever. However, some have a change of heart and wish to leave. They can after five years. If they leave before, the club takes their bike. After 20 years you can also leave and get to keep your colours with a retired patch. If you constantly break club rules, you can be thrown out of the club. There is often a violent bashing involved; you lose your bike and anything associated with the club.

Has social culture changed within OMG environments?

No. I still feel they have a brotherhood, their charters have remained relatively unchanged over time. It is only the gangs within the OMGs, often younger individuals who use the group's persona and reputation to enhance their own criminal activity. It only takes one individual to give a whole group a bad name.

Has violence always been the way of OMG environments?

Violence is generally kept in-house. It's generally a few individuals with a personal vendetta that recruit their club brothers, create a full-scale conflict in the public eye and the media jumps on it. But the simple fact a band of brothers can be recruited so quickly for a public conflict is dangerous to society. This was the case with Zervas, Ballroom Blitz and recent events on the Coast.

What are the basic rules governing OMG membership?

One-hundred per cent full vote for full patch. Bandidos have one rule other OMGs don't. You can be "on the books", requiring a 100 per cent acceptance vote from the chapter, and you don't need a bike. After 12 months you can purchase a bike and become a probate, thus skipping the "prospect" stage. This is probably the surge in the "Nike bikie" as labelled by the media.

You appear not to like OMGs. Why is that?

I hate what they have become. If a large group of men wish to get together, drink beers, shag women, smoke dope and do burn-outs, good for them. But if they want to keep doing it, best they go back to the basics.

You don't like police, do you?

I don't hate them, I just hate some individuals. Some of my closest friends and alliances are serving police in various countries.

What about politicians?

They always shoot the messenger to save their own pathetic asses. I admire the politics of Bob Hawke when he admitted in a tearful way his daughter had a drug addiction. I admired JFK and the Bay of Pigs debacle. He says "oooopsy" and his polls went up by 29 per cent. Why? Because he admitted he and others made a mistake.

You have said that police and politicians should prepare for a 5-10 year war against OMGs before they expect any change. Why is that?

It would/could/should take five years to get any real effective legislation changed, proclaimed and tested. It would take the same amount of time to reverse the media romancing and as a result deter recruitment/membership. This of course is all dependant on availability of appropriate budgets and resourcing.

The Newman Government advised a $20 million budget to combat OMGs. Will this be effective?

Twenty million dollars wouldn't pay for the coffee and donuts required by the QPS to investigate such matters. In 2010 alone, the QPS budget costs for 27 undercover operations was $1 million. It's easy to say that is only $1 million, but it's also only a small part of policing.

There is infrastructure, wages, extra manpower and time required. Twenty million would be lucky to last six to 12 months. This "combat" is a long-term operation.

What do you think of anti-gang laws?

I think they are (expletive) retarded. Some of the more lucrative memberships are those of ex-soldiers and police, because they have knowledge of methodology, weaponry, tactics etcetera.

While labelled "anti-gang laws", they are in fact anti-association laws and can be used against anyone for any reason a police officer thinks fit.

The Queensland Attorney-General recently announced a plan to legislate against groups of bikes riding together. Your view?

This is something I mentioned in 2006; it is intimidating to society. Sure, they can ride together at funerals (with helmets on). I do fear the actual mum-and-dad bike organisations could be ostracised by these laws and this should not be allowed. They are law-abiding citizens and as such have a right to a weekend ride with their non-OMG club.

Do you believe the Newman Government is capable of removing OMGs from the Gold Coast and other places in Queensland?

No too little too late. He might be able to push it underground, but remove it during his tenure in office? No chance.

Should we have a new prison just for bikies?

I agree with it, as jail has often been a recruiting platform for all types of organisations of criminality, whether it be street level, corrupt activities, sex offenders, OMGs etc.

If the Government has a mandate/agenda of using a new prison to reduce promotion/membership and recruitment of members for OMGs it should be applauded. It is an expensive initiative, but one that holds merit.

Society complains if it doesn't do anything and complains if it does. So let the ball roll and see where it stops.

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